US 11,392,947 B1Granted

Distributed ledger for device management

AssigneeUnited Services Automobile Association (USAA)

InventorsBharat Prasad, Ruthie D. Lyle, Minya Liang, Thomas Bret Buckingham

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Abstract

Techniques are described for managing devices, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, using smart contract(s) on a distributed ledger (e.g., blockchain). Smart contract(s) executing on a distributed ledger may control access to one or more devices in a home or other environment. The smart contract(s) may employ information stored on the distributed ledger and information in a transaction sent to the smart contract(s) to determine whether particular user(s) and/or process(es) may access the device(s), issue commands to the device(s), access data generated by the device(s), and/or control the device(s). The smart contract(s) may provide a secure portal through which user(s) and/or service(s) may access device(s) for command and control of such device(s), and secure access may be based on permission information that is specified or provided by an owner or operator of the device(s) and that is stored on the distributed ledger.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving, by a smart contract executed by at least one processor, a request for a user device to issue a first command to an Internet of Things (IoT) device;
accessing, by the smart contract executed by the at least one processor, permission information stored on a distributed ledger, the permission information indicating at least one user authorized to interact with the IoT device, wherein the permission information stored on the distributed ledger indicates at least one constraint on interaction with the IoT device;
determining, by the smart contract executed by the at least one processor, that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device, based at least in part on the permission information indicating that an authenticated user of the user device is authorized to interact with the IoT device governed by the at least one constraint;
transmitting, by the smart contract executed by the at least one processor, a second command to the IoT device to enable transmission of the first command from the user device to the IoT device upon determination that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device;
sending, by the smart contract executed by the at least one processor, a notification to the user device that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device;
receiving, by the smart contract executed by the at least one processor, a request from the IoT device to transmit a message to an external service, wherein the IoT device and the external service utilize different communication protocols;
determining, by the smart contract executed by the at least one processor, that the IoT device is permitted to transmit the message to the external service based at least in part on the permission information indicating that the IoT device is authorized to interact with the external service, wherein the permission information comprises whether the IoT device is authorized to transmit a type of the message to the external service, wherein the type of the message indicates a content type of the message;
and
transmitting, by the smart contract executed by the at least one processor, a third command to the IoT device to enable the IoT device to transmit the message from the IoT device to the external service across the different communication protocols upon determination that the IoT device is authorized to transmit the type of the message to the external service.

6 more elements

A system comprising:

at least one processor;
and
a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a smart contract, a request for a user device to issue a first command to an Internet of Things (IoT) device;
accessing, by the smart contract, permission information stored on a distributed ledger, the permission information indicating at least one user authorized to interact with the IoT device, wherein the permission information stored on the distributed ledger indicates at least one constraint on interaction with the IoT device;
determining, by the smart contract, that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device, based at least in part on the permission information indicating that an authenticated user of the user device is authorized to interact with the IoT device governed by the at least one constraint;
transmitting, by the smart contract, a second command to the IoT device to enable transmission of the first command from the user device to the IoT device upon determination that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device;
sending, by the smart contract, a notification to the user device that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device;
receiving, by the smart contract, a request from the IoT device to transmit a message to an external service, wherein the IoT device and the external service utilize different communication protocols;
determining, by the smart contract, that the IoT device is permitted to transmit the message to the external service based at least in part on the permission information indicating that the IoT device is authorized to interact with the external service, wherein the permission information comprises whether the IoT device is authorized to transmit a type of the message to the external service, wherein the type of the message indicates a content type of the message;
and
transmitting, by the smart contract, a third command to the IoT device to enable the IoT device to transmit the message from the IoT device to the external service across the different communication protocols upon determination that the IoT device is authorized to transmit the type of the message to the external service.

9 more elements

One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions which, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a smart contract, a request for a user device to issue a first command to an Internet of Things (IoT) device;
accessing, by the smart contract, permission information stored on a distributed ledger, the permission information indicating at least one user authorized to interact with the IoT device, wherein the permission information stored on the distributed ledger indicates at least one constraint on interaction with the IoT device;
determining, by the smart contract, that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device, based at least in part on the permission information indicating that an authenticated user of the user device is authorized to interact with the IoT device governed by the at least one constraint;
transmitting, by the smart contract, a second command to the IoT device to enable transmission of the first command from the user device to the IoT device upon determination that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device;
sending, by the smart contract, a notification to the user device that the user device is permitted to issue the first command to the IoT device;
receiving, by the smart contract, a request from the IoT device to transmit a message to an external service, wherein the IoT device and the external service utilize different communication protocols;
determining, by the smart contract, that the IoT device is permitted to transmit the message to the external service based at least in part on the permission information indicating that the IoT device is authorized to interact with the external service, wherein the permission information comprises whether the IoT device is authorized to transmit a type of the message to the external service, wherein the type of the message indicates a content type of the message;
and
transmitting, by the smart contract, a third command to the IoT device to enable the IoT device to transmit the message from the IoT device to the external service across the different communication protocols upon determination that the IoT device is authorized to transmit the type of the message to the external service.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/905,395Filed 26 Feb 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 27 Feb 2017
Granted: 19 Jul 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

G06Q 20/4014
Transaction verification: identity check for transactions
G06F 16/27
Of structured data, e.g. relational data: replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database…
G06F 21/31
Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals: user authentication
G06F 21/64
Protecting data: protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures